View full sizeGulf Shores city staff and officials pose for a photo after completing the Coastal "Tri-It -On" Triathlon, which is held in conjunction with the Brett-Robinson Alabama Coastal Triathlon, on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013. Late last year Mayor Robert Craft, far left, encouraged his staff to compete in the race and through the course of the year 44 people stepped up to meet the challenge. "We were all winners," Craft said. "I told them don't get too comfortable they've got three more years of me being mayor. We're going continue this forward and hopefully encourage some of our other members of the community to join us and go with us (to) get healthy. We owe to the city and we owe it to our families and we owe it to ourselves. (City of Gulf Shores)

“It was a challenge to get fit and get healthy; I challenged them to beat me,” said Craft, an avid runner who competed in his first marathon in 1978.

With 10 months to train and weekly reminders by the mayor during staff meetings, a total of 44 employees, from department heads to regular staff to elected officials, stepped up to meet the challenge.

“Every one of our department heads did it and three of our council (members) participated,” Craft said. “It was just a unique thing in the commitment to get fit. Now in the event itself, the longest that it took anyone to do it was maybe a couple of hours and that is important but not as important as the months that they spent preparing for it. So it was teaching them in a little bit about being healthy because the healthier they are and the fitter they are the better they perform for the city and for themselves.”

View full sizePlanning and Zoning Director Andy Bauer finishes up the swimming portion of the Coastal "Tri-It -On" Triathlon on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013, in Gulf Shores, Ala. Bauer was among 44 city staff members who competed in the triathlon. (Dennis Pillion/dpillion@al.com)

Councilman Steve Jones said he teamed up with Mayor Pro-tem Carolyn Doughty and City Administrator Steve Griffin to compete in the race as Team Unanimous Consent. Griffin took the swimming portion while Jones handled the bike and Doughty ran.

“I had never participated in one,” Jones said. “It’s the first time that I’ve done it and I’m just a couple of months off my gall bladder surgery and I wasn’t sure how my energy level was going to be but it was great. I was full steam the whole time. I didn’t finish last, which I was proud of, but I was more proud about how many people in the city participated -- 44 people is a lot.”

Planning and Zoning Director Andy Bauer was one of about 10 city employees who competed in all three phases of the race.

Bauer said it was his first time participating in a triathlon, and with the way he described Craft’s encouragement leading up to the race each week, the mayor could be called a personal trainer or coach.

“If it wasn’t for Mayor Craft I would have never of done any of it so I have to thank him,” Bauer said. “I think I may try to make it a yearly thing. It felt good to finish.”

Standing near Bauer after Monday’s meeting where employees were recognized for their participation, Craft reiterated that staff has three more years of his administration.

“It a lot easier to stay fit than it is to get fit,” he said. “You’re there so don’t lose it.”